The Mercer County Youth Career Connection Program is aimed at helping 18- to 24-year-olds
TRENTON -- Mercer County on Friday launched a jobs initiative aimed at helping 18- to 24-year-olds who have little work experience, few job skills and limited education.
Officials are hoping that the program can provide young adults with the kind of training and placements they need to land permanent jobs.
"We have a need both in the business community and amongst our youth .. who have not attained their high school diplomas but who need work-readiness skills and a chance to get on-the-job training, while also having some sort of income or stipend ... to meet their basic needs," said Elizabeth Muoio, director of the county's Office of Economic Development and Sustainability and a state assemblywoman.
The Mercer County Youth Career Connection Program is a collaborative effort between the county's One-Stop Career Center and three partner agencies: Mercer County Community College, Isles Youth Institute and the YWCA Princeton's Latinas Unidas.
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The $600,000 program is being funded through the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training and support services to succeed in the labor market and match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete.
There are three phases to the program.
The first phase focuses on developing the skills they need to succeed. Those with a high school diploma or equivalent will jump into an intensive, three-week job readiness program that will offer them tips on resume writing, interviewing, money management, what to expect from employers and how to keep a job.
High school dropouts, meanwhile, will be directed to one of the three partner agencies, who will help them earn their high-school equivalency diploma as well as mentor them and teach them job and life skills.
"This is an unusual program where we're each doing it a little differently, but we're going to make sure our young adults fit into one of those programs," said Judy Hutton, CEO of YWCA Princeton. "If we don't fit with one of the young adults, I might call Mercer County Community College or Isles and say 'I think they might fit better.'"
Under the second phase, the one-stop center matches youth with employers in a career they want to pursue or provides them with additional training if higher-level technical skills are required.
"It's going to be targeted job development," said Virgen Velez, director of the one-stop center. "If we have a young person who is interested in culinary, this is where we have an employer that can provide culinary."
Once matched, they will begin a six-month internship, working 20 hours a week and earning at least $9 an hour. If, at the end, there's an opening, they will be hired, but if not, the employer can be a reference for future job applications.
"So now they will have their HSE, job readiness skills ... and on their resumes, they can say, 'For the last six months, I have been working wherever it is they've been working, improving whatever skills they went in there to improve,'" Velez said.
The stipend and bus fares given to them during the training and the wages they earn during the internship come from the federal money.
"In the past, our programs have been bits and pieces and this is the first time that we've been able to bring everything together," Velez said.
Maurice Hallett, co-owner of 1911 Smokehouse BBQ in downtown Trenton, said finding qualified employees with experience has been hard to come by in the city.
"This opportunity allows us to give back to the community and, at the end of the day, if we're doing our jobs right, in six months, I should be able to find some well-trained employees to hire," he said.
Those who are interested can call 609-989-6206 to register. Orientations are also held on the first and third Monday of every month at 10 a.m. at the one-stop center, 26 Yard Avenue.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.